Families embrace the ups and downs of months-long nomadic adventures abroad
TORONTO — Yvette Duffy’s adventure of a lifetime began with years of meticulous planning.
The goal was to visit 16 countries in 10 months — an around-the-world ramble in which she and her husband would introduce their 10- and 13-year-old kids to an array of cultures, traditions and invaluable life lessons.
A family gap year, or even a months-long jaunt, can seem like an impossible dream for average Canadians. But many figure out a way, despite significant hurdles: finances, schooling, work obligations and of course, the kids’ willingness to go along.
Before their trip, Duffy and her husband curtailed spending and drafted a list of countries to visit. Duffy deferred 20 per cent of her teacher’s salary for four years so they could afford a year-long leave. They crunched the numbers again and again and tweaked their list of dream destinations.